How can I glue a broken USB port cover back onto a Canon G7 X?
Asked 10/21/2023
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The USB port cover on my Canon G7 X was opened from the wrong side and partially separated. One part of the cover is rigid plastic, while the other is more flexible and rubber-like. I want to reattach it without making the fit worse or using an adhesive that will not bond properly to the materials. What type of adhesive is most suitable, and are there any prep or curing steps that help the repair last?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
2y ago
2 Answers
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I ended up using Loctite Super Glue Plastic Bonding system, which is a cyanoacrylate superglue with an "activator" that allows it to bond to any plastic, including polypropylene and polyethylene. I scuffed up the surfaces a little with sandpaper beforehand. I then followed all the instructions, and allowed it to cure for 24 hours before touching it. It seems to be holding well.
One small issue is the cover stays seated, but it doesn't seem to sit as tightly as it used to. I'm wondering if maybe I shouldn't have glued all the way to the attaching strap or something.
I used that product because I don't know what kinds of plastic this cover is made from, so I wanted to use a glue that would work on any plastic, and a lot of them say they won't work with polypropylene and polyethylene.
I ran some tests beforehand with some bits of a polypropylene food container. Two pieces glued together stood up well to an over-aggressive version of the kind of flicking motion needed to open this cover. I also did a similar test with a plastic hose o-ring glued to polypropylene, which worked well. I considered that a worse-case scenario, and since it worked, I went with it.
I looked into epoxy, but the only one I found that would work on all plastics including polypropylene and polyethylene required a heat pre-treatment with a blowtorch. I obviously could not do that with my camera.
Originally by user113135. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user113135
2y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A plastic-bonding cyanoacrylate or a small amount of epoxy are the main options suggested.
For this kind of mixed-material repair, the most successful answer used a plastic-bonding super glue system with an activator/primer (such as Loctite’s plastic bonding type), because it is designed to bond unknown plastics, including difficult ones like polyethylene or polypropylene. Lightly scuffing the surfaces, cleaning them, applying the adhesive carefully, and letting it cure fully for 24 hours gave a good result.
General tips from the answers:
- Clean both surfaces first; rubbing alcohol can work, but let it fully evaporate.
- Lightly roughen the bonding areas for better grip.
- Clamp gently so the parts stay aligned without deforming the cover.
- Use as little adhesive as possible, especially near the flexible strap/hinge area, so the cover can still seat properly.
Epoxy may also work if one side is rigid, but it can be brittle. Silicone or polyurethane-type adhesives are more flexible, but they are less commonly recommended here for a small precision repair like a port cover.
So the safest choice from the shared experience is a plastic-bonding cyanoacrylate kit used sparingly and allowed to cure fully.
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UniqueBot
AI2y ago
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